#ficlovechallenge

Typical of me, but again I’m a day late to the party. Sorry, guys. But it’s all for the best because it is apparently Fanfic Author Appreciation Day?! What a great way to close out this challenge, am I right?

I guess for Open Ended Saturday I’ll just first off give you a link to my fic rec page, which is filled with long fics that are amazing and perfect. You really can’t go wrong with anything on there. 

I’d also like to point out a few fics that I’m enjoying at the moment that didn’t get to be recc’d earlier in the week. 

Imperfect Proposals by @blissfulcastiel​

Dean Winchester has a dream of being a successful architect- one that may or may not be out of his reach. So when he receives a promising job at Designs of Divinity, a reputable architectural firm, he is beyond happy. It's everything he could ask for. Sure, he may only be the assistant of Castiel Novak, a well known architect and project manager, but he doesn't even care. It's a start. It isn't until he starts working for Castiel that he realizes the guy isn't exactly who he thought he'd be, and his dream job turns into a living hell. Dean decides he's had enough when Castiel denies him time off to attend his brother's wedding. But just when Dean thinks it can't get any worse, he finds out that he's being forced to marry Castiel to keep him from being deported. Fan-friggin'-tastic. Based on the movie The Proposal

I usually don’t rec fics that aren’t completed because nothing is more wrenching is reading an amazing fic and finding out it was never completed, but this one is worth it. I will admit, I just began reading this today because I’ve been busy these past few weeks with work changes and the like, but I’m already in love. The Proposal is one of my favorite movies, and a Dean/Cas AU of it is amazing. The writing is fun and even though I don’t know a lot of what happens yet, I know the plot of the movie and can imagine where this is all gonna go. I can’t wait to read more of this, because I’m already hooked one chapter in. 

Unbound by through_shadows_falling

In a world where Witches and Familiars depend on each other to survive, Dean Winchester remains Unbound, and his magic - and life - is dwindling. Dean has accepted his fate, even if his family hasn't. After all, what can he do about it?

But then a man stumbles into his life who just might be Dean's Witch, but for some mysterious reason, refuses to Bond. On top of that, there's trouble brewing on the horizon, and it seems that Dean's caught right in the thick of it.

Can Dean convince the stranger that they need each other, before it's too late for the both of them - and their world?

And this is one that I just finished reading today! Guys, I loved this fic from start to finish. The writing is engaging and the characters are never OOC. They used canon and AU in a way that works perfectly, and I also love that there really is no big Dean/Cas fighting in this fic. They are partners through it all, no big break ups, but that doesn’t mean this fic won’t break you at times. The fluff also is perfectly weighed with angst, along with a few jabs of humor in there, too. Really, if you’re looking for a good long fic, read this one. 

This is also a day to rec your own work, so I’ll rec a fluffy one I wrote, and a more angsty one. 

The Road to You by elevensong

Or, the four times Dean asks Cas to marry him, and the one time he says yes.

Yes, this is the fluffy one that I’m really proud of. I wrote this not that long ago when I was on a real roll with my inspiration, and I’m glad this one got a lot of traction and good feedback. 

Bandaged and Bruised, I’d Still Pick You by elevensong

Cas is a paramedic with a tragic past. Five years ago he lost a patient on the job and never fully recovered from the emotional trauma it caused. He's become an expert at pushing the feelings aside, but Cas's past comes back to haunt him when he saves his lost patient's brother from a car wreck. When the two men fall for one another, both of them learn how to patch old wounds and find new life with each other.

If you can ignore the fact that I mixed up where paramedics and firemen go when they’re waiting for a call, I still really like this one. It’s angsty, which is something I kinda love writing, and I thought the overarching concept was one of my best ideas. Be warned; Sam is dead before this fic begins, so if you aren’t okay with any type of MCD, then maybe go for the fluffy one instead :)

for the @ficlovechallenge

Open-Ended Saturday: Is there a fic that didn’t fit the other categories? Feature it now!

Check out everything by fleshflutter! I know on Monday I recced a fic by them already, but there’s so many other things worth checking out:

Smitten, Break the lock if it don’t fit, I feel the flames again, There’s a devil waiting outside your door, Moths on the Mirror, Dark Side of the Moon, The Time Dean was Sam's Girlfriend and Jess Entered the Winchester Family Business, The Firefly that Loved Metallica... just to name a few. 

Some writers I’m subscribed to on ao3: 

bloodandcream (tumblr - @bloodandcream and @bendoverandbiteyourgag) 

BlueNeutrino (tumblr - @indigoneutrino)

elenajames (tumblr - @thedropoutandthejunkie)

Mayalaen (tumblr - @mayalaen)

majestic_duck (tumblr - @majesticduxk) 

rw_eaden (tumblr - @rosemoonweaver) 

fics I’m currently reading: 

To The Beat Of The Devil’s Drums by @indigoneutrino

Summary: It should have been a simple case. Drive into town, kill the monster, stop off for burgers-n-beer on the way home like they have countless times before. But when the hunt takes them to an abandoned amusement park in the middle of nowhere and Sam is taken by a monster Dean doesn't even know how to begin to describe, Dean finds himself fighting not only for Sam's life, but his own. Ship: gen Word Count: 44k Link: ao3 

Run So Far (That I Am Standing Still) by @rainsoakedsam

Summary: Sam Winchester's been in love with his big brother Dean for as long as he can remember, and he's never told anyone but Dr. Cas Novak. From their first session together, Cas finds himself fully entrenched in Sam's sad story with a fervor that's not entirely professional. Under his overly intimate and fairly unorthodox methods, even Dean notices the change in his usually gloomy brother and decides maybe therapy's not so bad.Sam definitely shouldn't refer his brother to Cas. Cas definitely shouldn't take him on but his curiosity wins out, and he soon finds himself trying to wave the white flag in the middle of a very fucked up battleground. Ship(s): Sastiel, Wincest, Destiel, Wincestiel Word Count: 82k Link: ao3  

Freak Camp: A Monster By Any Other Name by Brosedshield, LaviniaLavender and  whereupon

Summary: Dean Winchester is an only child.Mary died November 2nd, 1983, but neither in a fire nor on the ceiling.Five-year-old Sam is deported to a concentration camp for monsters.But the core remains the same.This is a love story. Ship: Sam/Dean (unrelated) Word Count: 566k Link: ao3 

For the last day of Fanfiction Appreciation Week #ficlovechallenge

 Is there a fic that didn’t fit the other categories? Feature it now! 

Because I haven't actually rec'd her yet and totally SHOULD: captainawesomeellie . @captainawesomeellie the first story I read by her was

Match Me Destiel, Explicit, over 80k words  Supernatural Not your normal Soulmate AU - totally awesome, a bit dark but totally awesome. Expect some twists :D

What I take With Me  Destiel, AU, over 56k words Supernatural Castiel is a soldier, Dean is selectively mute - this ones got a lot of pining, and tears, definitely tears, but an AWESOME story.

BONUS CHALLENGE: If you’re a writer, self rec yourself today. You deserve to get recognition for your work, too!

I’m a (fairly) new writer - but I have 2 finished “Long Fics” and 2 in process. I have a medium sized fic at abotu 13k and quite a few short fics at around 10k or less. 

I’m mostly focused on the Supernatural Fandom but I also have Doctor Who, Star Trek (old and new), Marvels Power Pack, Ranma 1/2 and a generic sci fi. Some of them even crossover (Doctor Who with Supernatural, with Star Trek (old) and with Power Pack) I think the ones I’m proudest of would have to be:

 The Things He Kept (parts 1 AND 2 ) (Supernatural) Destiel, Canon, SFW,  Summary: Who knew an Angel of the Lord was a kleptomaniac?  or What happens when Dean is left with nothing but Castiels trench coat.

How an Angel of the Lord being a kleptomaniac eventually leads to confessions and first kisses...

 and 

The bonus challenge for Saturday is to recommend your own work, so I’ll just list a few here, but if you want to see more of my work, just check out my AO3

Cassie Steel and Em Pala ‘verse (series, incomplete) : This series is one of my favorite things to write. Both Cas and Dean are drag queens (I’m sure you can figure out which one is which). There are three stories in the series so far, but I have plans for at least three more stories. 

Intervention:  An intervention is taking place. Why? Apparently Dean has been leading on Cas...his boyfriend. This is what happens when you don't tell anyone about your relationship.

Through the Walls :  Single room. The two sweetest words Dean had ever heard, but it came with an unexpected catch: the floor was full of music majors. Enthusiastic, die hard practicing, music majors. Dean thought he was catching a break when they went out partying, but one stayed behind. The cello music echoing through the walls and drawing him in.

So I missed Thursday’s Under appreciated fics challenge, which actually was the one I’d looked forward to the most. However, those I’d planned to rec actually have another thing in common: So, here are some historical AUs that deserve more love!

Sidenote: Take care to read the tags and the notes on these.

Featured Fic: What Do I Stand For?

Featured Author: Unforth on AO3, or @unforth-ninawaters​ here on Tumblr.

Word Count: 181 064

Summary: US Civil War AU. Fired by abolitionist spirit and the desire to see long-standing wrongs righted, the influence of the Novak family enables James Castiel Novak to be named Captain of Company B of the 27th New York Infantry. Determined to do right by his family, do his duty as a soldier of the United States, and stand up for liberty and justice, James is quickly faced with the hard truth that there may be no way he can do all three.

My Thoughts: This WIP was last updated in late 2015. However, don’t let that scare you away from 100k+ of incredibly well-researched, well-written Destiel. If it helps, the last update ends in a good place (and the seeds sown for later are the kind you know is gonna break your heart). As a history lover, this fic hits so many of my weak spots. No seriously, the links included that explain the historical context, the way the soldiers aren’t constantly involved in battles and the conflicting info that they receive are a few of my favourite things - you really are transported to the time. Another of my weaknesses this fic got covered is inclusions of side characters - literally everybody is there, and if they aren’t, they were probably supposed to turn up later. And Dean and Cas... They are so clearly the same characters as they are in canon, but the different circumstances bring forward aspects of them that I love seeing explored. 

Featured Fic: The Interview

Featured Author: Speary on AO3, or @spearywritesstuff here on Tumblr.

Word Count: 69 465

Summary: It begins at an award show. Dean Winchester is a well-known actor, standing before a crowd with Charlie at his side. The world looks at him and sees someone that has everything. The fame, the fortune, the life. They don't see the loss or what he refuses to tell. Then Charlie, his manager, sets up an interview with a journalist that seems to know how to get at the truth. It seems to take no time before Dean is sharing more than he intended, and Benny is ready to capture it all on camera. Because some stories just must be told.

My Thoughts: The way this story unfolds slowly, in flash backs interspersed with Dean telling the story, is such a good example of non-linear story-telling when it works. The way Benny and Dean interacts during the interview, the tension between them - a tension between people that have lived and loved, and the tension between Dean and Cas are so different, but each draws you in. This bittersweet fic will break your heart, but it will also leave you the feeling that you’ve only caught glimpses of the lives of some incredibly people, and you know they have so many stories left between themselves. Also, Benny, Meg and Charlie are beautifully written.

Featured Fic: As The Sparrow

Featured Author: hubrisandwax on AO3, or @hubrisandwax here on Tumblr.

Word Count: 18 733

Summary: It’s 1947. Dean is an ex-marine fighting crime and a very different sort of war to the one he faced in the Pacific as a detective on the streets of LA. This city isn’t all the glitz and glamor it’s made out to be, however, and Dean finds himself tugged in to a world of life-threatening unknowns when Daphne Novak’s body is discovered. Castiel Novak, her husband, was one of Dean’s battalion mates in the war, and he's just as deadly and dangerous as he was two years ago when he saved Dean’s life during the Battle of Okinawa. Except now he’s wanted for his wife’s murder, and Dean just doesn’t believe Cas is capable of that. Is Cas really who he says he is, though? And what will Dean have to sacrifice in order to repay the debt he feels he owes?

My Thoughts: This story is what I think of when I think of noir. The noir atmosphere is everywhere - the music, the places, the casting of the characters. And the story-line - so freaking good. Everything about Dean and Cas - the way they instinctually trusts each other, the electricity - here have a quote: “They stay like that for a while longer, not talking, Cas’s hand pressed against Dean’s shoulder, Dean’s hand moving to Cas’s knee. The silence isn’t uncomfortable – in fact, quite the opposite. It’s just breathing and heartbeats and radio static as the world turns around them.” 

Open-Ended Saturday: Is there a fic that didn’t fit the other categories? Feature it now! BONUS CHALLENGE: If you’re a writer, self rec yourself today. You deserve to get recognition for your work, too!

If you’ve been following me longer than 24 hours and haven’t yet realised I realllly like sub!Dean, then um, SURPRISE! But damn, I really love sub!Dean. I also really like quirky, touching fics, and a hella lot of AUs so here’s my list of unusual AU fics, most likely with sub!Dean. All are complete, all are most likely a little porny in places: 

Can't Get Enough by unholyseraphs (oncharredwings) - Dean/Cain AU, ultra AU, very very AU: 

"Looking for swimmer" the ad starts out; the ad that changes Dean's life forever when he is sucked into the life of Cain Apidae, a rich CEO who just wants a bit of company. Dean does it for the money, but he doesn't realize how much he will come to love the lonely, mysterious man.

Words: 34,423 (complete) 

I know I reblogged a rec’ of this next one other day, but I really like this fic a lot and wanted it on my own list. Not a rare pair as it is Dean/Cas, but Cas is a porn star and Dean isn’t. Somehow this was a dynamic and a way I’d never read before. Again, Dean’s pretty subby, yayyyysss. But Cas also has this quirky loveliness and their relationship just gels so nicely? It’s a beautiful read! 

Unsolicited by Dangerousnotbroken by @shennanigoats (Destiel) 

In which Dean Winchester gets an unsolicited dick pic from an unknown sender which is both totally not disappointing in that it's a really nice dick pic, and incredibly disappointing in that it's clearly a downloaded picture of his favorite porn star.

There's absolutely no way it's actually this porn star sending it to him, right?

Right?

Words: 56,274 (complete)

The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through Chlamydia by violue (Destiel) 

Dean doesn't expect to see his one night stand again, but then again he also doesn't expect to find out he has an STD. Sometimes life is hilarious like that.

Words: 89,337 (complete) 

Cuuutteeee, lots of funny moments, also some serious talk. 

Life In Pink by youaresunlight (Destiel) 

At just 33 years old, Dean Winchester is one of the most sought-after wedding planners in the city. He’s chased his dream ever since he was a kid and is now on the brink of making partner at his firm. But the wedding that’ll make or break his promotion? Is his best friend Dr. Castiel Novak’s. It’s going to be the event of the season - unlimited budget, no expense spared - and it’s the kind of task that Dean has been waiting for… except he’s hopelessly in love with Cas.

Words: 25,175 (complete) 

Dean’s a wedding planner! I really like it when Dean has a job I never considered, so this one definitely fits the bill. 

The Space Around Him Fic Author: rainylemons Word Count: 29154 Thoughts on Fic: Only a couple thousand words in but holy moly is this amazing! It’s so detailed and it really acts like a mystery for the first bit.

BONUS CHALLENGE: If you’re a writer, self rec yourself today. You deserve to get recognition for your work, too!

I am an author! (I don’t really consider myself one but I’m trying to :/)

Sam I Am Fic Author: Lennelle Word Count: 12868 Thoughts on Fic: In the midst of reading it and uGH it’s SO GOOD AND THere’s sO MANY TWISTS and WritTeN FANTASTICALLY!!!

BONUS CHALLENGE: Go to the first page of AO3′s ‘Supernatural’ tag and read the first fic you find there. Leave a comment if you liked it!